Nigel Doughty, a grandee of private equity, found dead
CITY financier Nigel Doughty was found dead at his home in Lincolnshire over the weekend, shocking the private equity community in which he was a major figurehead.
The 54-year-old was found in his home gym and is believed to have suffered a heart attack.
As the co-founder of private equity group Doughty Hanson with Richard Hanson in 1986, he was well-known in the City.
The firm said: “On behalf of Dick Hanson, and all the management and staff of Doughty Hanson, we are tremendously sorry to learn of the death of Nigel Doughty. Our thoughts are very much with his family at this time.”
But Doughty was also a familiar face in football circles as owner of the Nottingham Forest football club, which is left with some £75m in debts to him. He saved the club from administration in 1999.
Doughty stepped down as chairman of the club in October but he was planning to invest more than £20m in the team over the coming years.
Doughty was also a strong supporter of the Labour Party, having donated £3.5m to the organisation since 2005 and acting as an adviser to the party on how to engage with the business community.